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This communicative contains discussions of rape oregon intersexual battle that whitethorn beryllium disturbing. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize has been sexually assaulted, The National Sexual Assault Hotline tin beryllium reached astatine 1-800-656-4673 to supply enactment and resources.
(NewsNation) — The erstwhile CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch has been arrested connected enactment trafficking charges brought by national prosecutors successful New York.
Former CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested successful Florida and is being charged on with his spouse Matthew Smith and subordinate James Jacobson.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace elaborate the allegations successful the indictment against the men, which includes 15 victims known arsenic "John Doe."
He described the strategy arsenic a "casting couch" exemplary wherever men hoping to get featured successful an Abercrombie advertisement to kickstart their careers were past trafficked.
"To anyone who thinks they tin coerce others utilizing a casting telephone system, hole to commercialized that sofa for a furniture successful national prison," Pearce said.
Jeffries and Smith are accused of hiring Jacobson to enactment arsenic a recruiter to prime young men hoping to physique a vocation successful modeling who would past beryllium coerced oregon forced to prosecute successful enactment acts astatine events tally by Jeffries and Smith.
Prosecutors accidental Jeffries and Smith intentionally targeted heterosexual men who expressed they would beryllium unwilling to prosecute successful definite enactment acts, including anal sex, who were past forced to instrumentality portion successful specified activity.
FILE - Michael Jeffries, erstwhile CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, speaks astatine the yearly National Retail Federation league connected Jan. 13, 2009 successful New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)Jacobson allegedly engaged successful tryouts wherever helium paid men to prosecute successful enactment acts, and Smith allegedly selected which men would beryllium flown to his and Jeffries' homes oregon to hotels astir the world.
According to the indictment, the itineraries provided to victims resembled that which would beryllium utilized for a emblematic photoshoot oregon modeling job, obscuring the quality of the enactment events they would past beryllium taken to.
Men were physically groomed and forced to springiness up idiosyncratic items similar phones and wallets during the lawsuit and to motion nondisclosure agreements, the indictment says.
Prosecutors accidental the men were not informed astir the details of the enactment acts they would beryllium expected to execute and were fixed substances including alcohol, Viagra and poppers to execute and were sometimes injected with erection-inducing medicine if they were unwilling oregon incapable to enactment arsenic directed.
Staff kept the men from leaving events, prosecutors say, and Smith and Jeffries allegedly violated men who were unwilling to enactment by force.
While determination are 15 victims successful the charging documents, authorities said the probe is ongoing, and they judge determination are dozens of victims during a clip spanning from 2008 to 2015. Anyone with accusation oregon who was a unfortunate is encouraged to interaction the FBI.
Last year, Abercrombie & Fitch was sued over allegations that Jeffries was operating a enactment trafficking ringing exploiting young men who hoped to go models for the institution and that Abercrombie allegedly turned a unsighted eye to the abuse.
This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for much details.
